Locking device



' l PT-Z. 19 1 7. 1338,22 1 Patented Apr- 27, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM I-I. GREENLEAF, OF HARTFORD, CONN-ECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO CONNECTICUT ELECTRIC CLOCK CO., INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LOCKING DEVICE.

specifica/tion of Letters Patent. Patented Ap 27, 192() Application filed September 25, 1917. Serial No. 193,173.

TO all wlbom ?lt may concern Be it known that I, VVILLIA H. GRE N- LEAF, a citiZen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the County of Hartford and State of Connecticut,'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locking Devices, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to looking devices. A looking device involving the invention can be ineXpensively made, can'be easily mounted, and has means of an effective nature for retaining an object in desired position. The object may vary decidedly. I might note that the locking device is of particular advantage, however, when utiliZed for holding a clockin the dash of an au tomobile, being intended in this especial employment to maintain the clock against motion relative to the support which may be subjected to shocks, jars and vibration.

In the drawings accompanying and form ing part of the present specification I have shown in detail a convenient form of embodiment of the invention which I will set forth fully in the following description. I am not restricted to this particular showing; I may depart therefrom in several respects within the scope of the inventlon' defined by the Claims following said description.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of part of a dash equipped with looking means in volving the invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows. y

Fig. 3 is a sectional top plan view with a portion of the dash broken out.

F ig. 4: is a cross section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the object in released and locked positions by dotted and full lines respectively.

Like Characters refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawin s.

?As I have already stated the looking means is capable of Successful use in widely different connections, although it has been found of particular advantage for securing a clock or equivalent instrument to the dash of an automobile. I have partly shown such a dash in several views of the drawings, the same being denoted by 2. This dash as I have already noted, constitutes a suitable support for the looking means and an incident the obj ect to be held in locked relation with the support. This object may be a clock such as that denoted in a general way by 3. The dash 2 has a cylindrical opening as 4 to comparatively snugly receive the cylindrical body ofthe clock, the front of the clock being disposed on the inside of the dash so as to be readable by the chauffeur driving the automobile of which the dash presents a part.

The locking means involves a ring as This ring is practically flat; at least its inside surface .should be fiat or otherwise shaped to conform to the dash against which it fits firmly. The ring may be held to the dash in any desirable manner as by one or more screws 6, there being as represented, three of such screws spaced at equal intervals extending through perforations in the ring and threaded into the dash. The central opening of the ring in the present case registers with the opening 4, so 'that the inner surface of the ring is really a continuation of the inner wall of the hole or opening 4. The inner surface of the ring, how-` ever, is comparatively narrow, owing to the fact that the ring is not very thick. The cylindrical body of the clock 3 is furnished exteriorly with teeth'7 practically diametrically opposite each other, the rear and side faces of the teeth being fiat and their front faces being beveled orangular as at S to produce holding portions 9. In front of each of the teeth 7 isa praticaly rectangular projection 10.

'The looking ring 5 has on the inner side thereof diametrically Opposite notches or slots 11 which are intended to receive the respective teeth 7 and their complemental projections 10. From one wall or asshown obliquely opposite walls of. the slots or notches 11 there extend inward the projections 12, while from the opposite wall there extend inward the longer projections 13. The projections 13 terminate at their inner ends in lateral extensions 14 which termi nate in V-bends 15, each projection 13, eX tension 14 and Vterminal 15 constituting a yieldable angular or L-form looking finger coperative with a projection as 7 on the body of the clock 3. Obviously each finger made up of the portions 13, 1 1 and 15 is resilient, and each extension 14 in turn with its terminal portion possesses resiliency sufficient to hold it in proper relation with an object. I might also eXplain that the distance between the respective teeth 7 and their adjacent projections 10 is less than the maximum Width of the extension 14 and its V-terminal 15.

It will be assumed that thelocking ring is applied for illustration as shown by Figs. 1 and 2 and that it is desired to mount a clock as 3 in fixed relation with the dash 2. ,n this case the following procedure will be adopted: The case Or body of the clock will be passed through the opening of the ring 5 and into the opening t until the front portion 16 of the clock Strikes the front flat face of the ring 5, the case of the clock being so positioned as to carry each projection 7 and the complemental projeotions 10 through the space between the V-portion and projeotions 12. This will bring the olock in the position llustrated for instance by dotted lines in Fig. -3 with the opening between each of the projections 7 and 10 in alinement circumferentially of 'the clock case with the V-terminals 15. The body of the clock will then be turned to cause each V-terminal '15 to be projected through the space or interval between the'mating projections 7 and 10. As the bevel surface 8 of each tooth 7 rides against the back or rear portion of each V-terminal 15, the terminal portion will be sprung outwardly or forwardly a comparatively short distance or suflicient to permit the maximum turning of the olock or until the squared projections 10 strike against the respective projections 1 3 which clearly arrest further turning movement of the clook. At the same time the holding portions 9 will ride into the spaces 17 at the junction'of the V-terminals 15 and extensions 14, so that the inwardly projeoting parts of the V-terminals prevent effectually yet yieldingly baokward accidental movement of the clock.'- The olook, however, can be freely turned by hand to unlock Or to bring the projections 7 and 10 to the dotted line position in Fig. ,4 at Which point the olock can be easily slipped from place. The two positions are shown on a slightly larger Scale by dotted and full lines in Fig. 5, the dotted line being the released, and the full line the locked position.

As may be inferred the looking device and its adjuncts may be used in widely different connections. I have alluded to the fact that the looking ring can be employed 'for maintaining a olock in proper relation upon the dash of an automobile. When this looking ring is used in conjunction with a clock, it need not be necessarily utilized to hold the clook to a dash, because the olook and the looking ring may be sustained by any other kind of support. In like manner, it is not essential that the object held should be a clock.,

\Vhat I claim is: V

1. The combination of an instrument having an approximately cylindrioal body provided with peripheral teeth laterally ciroumferentially spaced and a fixed ring surrounding the body and provided on its inner edge with a plurality of angularresilient fingers the free portions of which have V-terminals to engage behind the respective teeth of the body when the latter is turned with respect to the ring and the ring fitting flatwise vagainst its support.

2. A looking ring having a fl'at inner face a nd provided on its inner edge with an angular resilient looking finger.

8. A looking ring having a flat innerface and provided on its inner edge with an ,angular resilient looking finger, the terminal portion of which is of V-form.

In testimony whereof 'I afliX my Signature in the presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM H. GREENLEAF.

lVitnesses L. L. MARKEL, ITEATII SUTHERLAND. 

